Apparatus for printing on textile fabric

ABSTRACT

Printing of patterns on a textile fabric is performed by passing the fabric in continuous length together with a superposed heat activatable printing web around an arc of the periphery of a driven heated calender roller whilst being pressed against the roller around said arc by a stationary yieldable presser pad of complementary shape faced with heat resistant and substantially frictionless material, such as P.T.F.E. The invention provides apparatus for performing this procedure and also specially constructed presser pads.

United States Patent [191 True [ APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON TEXTILE FABRIC [75] Inventor: Harry Edward True, Leicester,

England [73] Assignee: Harrico Developments Limited,

Leicester, England 22 Filedz- Dec. 6, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 205,006

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data [58] Field of Search 101/470, 32; 38/56, 66, 61; 156/230, 234, 235, 238, 240; 68/5 D [111 3,788,106 451 Jan. 29, 1974 2,652,644 9/1953 Howlett 38/54 3,157,723 11/1964 Hochberg 38/56 X 2,485,725 10/1949 Francis 156/235 X 2,571,962 lO/l95l Smith et al.. 156/238 2,733,180 l/1956 Pinto 156/235 X 176,193 4/1876 Rhell 101/169 X 2,537,700 l/l951 Powell et al. 38/66 X 3,323,238 6/1967 Cohen 38/66 3,667,142 6/1972 Goodloe 38/66 Primary Examiner-Cylde l. Coughenour Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Larson, Taylor & Hinds [5 7] ABSTRACT Printing of patterns on a textile fabric is performed by passing the fabric in continuous length together with a superposed heat activatable printing web around an arc of the periphery of a driven heated calender roller whilst being pressed against the roller around said are by a stationary yieldable presser pad of complementary shape faced with heat resistant and substantially frictionless material, such as P.T.F.E. The invention provides apparatus for performing this procedure and also specially constructed presser pads.

12 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 206,718 8/1878 Gessner 38/56 X 623,648 4/1899 Behnisch 38/56 X PATENTED JAN 2 9 I874 SHEET U, 0F 5 FIGS.

APPARATUS FOR PRINTING ON TEXTILE FABRIC This invention concerns a procedure and apparatus for printing on textile fabric and seeks to overcome certain difficulties that have arisen in connection with the printing of textile fabrics in continuous lengths by a process known as sublastatic printing in which designs or other printing matter carried on a separate web are transferred to the textile material by the application of heat and pressure, but is not necessarily limited to use in connection therewith.

In the practising of sublastatic printing, attempts have been made to perform the process continuously on textile material by passing a continuous length of the textile material around a heated calender roller with the printing web placed over it and pressed against the textile material over an arc of the periphery of the calender roller, in order to secure intimate contact of the textile material with the calender roller and therefore effective heat transfer through it to the printing 'web and at the same time secure the required pressure of the printing web on the textile material. To effect the required pressure a driven endless belt or blanket wrapped partly around the calender roller was tried first without, and later with, a backing piece in the form of a part cylindrical pressure shoe. These arrangements were found to be unsatisfactory partly because of difficulty in obtaining a required application of heat and pressure and partly because of.misfeeding and creasing of the textile material around the calender roller. Other devices were subsequently tried out including an endless belt of foam rubber within an endless band of P.T.F.E. (Polytetrafluoroethylene) both guided on rollers around a closed path and driven by a driving roller which also serves to press the belt and band towards the heated calender roller and grip the textile material and printing web against the latter with the foam rubber yielding to enable the pressure to be applied around an arc of the circumference of the calender roller.

The aforementioned attempts to perform the process continuously were all found to be unsatisfactory due to tendencies to smearing and creasing of the fabric apparently arising from the build up of effects produced by unavoidable fractional inequalities in the speeds of the drives imparted to opposite faces of the continuous fabric and printing web assembly, giving rise inter alia to lateral wandering of the fabric and web. The invention seeks to provide a procedure and means by which these difficulties can be overcome.

Textile processing apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a roller with heating means therein, the roller and the heating means being rotatably mounted on a support. A press pad is supported by mounting bars such that an inner curved face thereof lies adjacent to and conforms with a part of the periphery of the roller. There is a support for the mounting bars, and means for urging the mounting bars to tension the presser pad extending between the mounting bars around the roller and urge the presser pad toward the roller. The presser pad comprises successively a facing of a fluorocarbon material opposite the roller surface, a backing of a resilient rubber material, a flexible metal sheet, extending along the width of the roller, a plurality of flexible peripherally extending strips supporting the metal sheet and connected to each of the mounting bars, and means for individually moving at least one end of the strips away from or toward the mounting bars so as to permit individual adjustment of the strips.

I The facing may comprise a glass-filter cloth impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene, and the backing may be of a neoprene rubber material. The presser pad may extend over an arc of the roller in excess of but allows the entry and exit of textile sheet material between the presser pad and roller. The means for urging the mounting bars may be arranged to enable the presser pad to be splayed apart to facilitate setting up of the apparatus.

In another aspect, textile processing apparatus in accordance with the invention comprises a rotatably supported roller having'heating means therein, a presser pad supported by mounting bars such that an inner curved face thereof lies adjacent to and conforms with a part of the periphery of the roller, and means for urging the mounting bars to tension the presser pad extending between the mounting bars about the roller and urge the presser pad toward the roller. A length of fabric and a printing web containing sublimable dyes are supplied from supply holders and are guided by guide means between the presser pad and the roller with the web against the roller and the fabric against the presser pad. The presser pad comprises a facing of fluorocarbon material opposite the roller surface whereby the fabric is frictionally engaged predominantly by the web and slides freely past the facing. The presser pad further comprises a backing of a resilient rubber material, a flexible metal sheet extending along the width of the roller, a plurality of flexible peripherally extending strips supporting the metal sheet and connected to each of the mounting bars, and means for individually moving at least one end of the strips away from or toward the mounting bars so as to permit individual adjustment of the strips, whereby the pressure may be evenly distributed over the whole surface of the presser pad. Means are provided for taking up the fabric and printing web separately after they have passed between the roller and the presser pad.

Heating means may be provided for heating the fabric and printing web at a position between each respective supply holder and the roller and presser pad. Additionally means for cooling the fabric at a position between the take-up means and the roller and presser pad may be provided.

The arc of contact of the textile fabric with the calender roller is desirably one of substantial extent, for, in

general, the greater the arc of contact between the fabric and the roller, the faster can the printer procedure be performed. A convenient arc of contact is one that extends approximately half way round the calender roller, but by appropriate construction of the presser pad and even longer are of contact may be obtained, such as one of rather more than 300 in extent.

The employment of a stationary heat resistent pad faced with a substantially frictionless heat resistant material enables the textile fabric together with the printing web to be fed by the calender roller around it whilst being pressed into close contact with the roller without any misfeeding or lateral wandering of the fabric or web occurring, thus enabling a satisfactory printing procedure without creasing of the fabric to be performed.

A better understanding of the invention will be facilitated by the ensuing description taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a cross sectional end view of a driven calender roller and presser pad in one form,

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a modified form of construction, and

FIG. 3 is an end view of a calender roller and presser pad of another modified construction.

FIG. 4 is a somewhat diagrammatic end elevation view of a machine in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged end view in cross-section of a pad as in FIG. 4 shows around a calender roller; and

FIG. 6 is a partly broken away perspective view of a modified pad similar to that of FIG. 5.

In FIG. 1 a driven hollow calender roller is indicated at 1 l0 and it may be heated in known manner by internal radiant heaters (not shown). Opposite the roller 110 is a presser pad having a yieldable backing piece 111 curved to conform to the shape of roller 110 and fitted with a thin facing layer 112 of substantially frictionless heat resisting material, e.g. P.T.F.E. The backing piece is shown supported on a rigid metal block 113 which may be mounted for movement towards and away from the roller 110. In FIG. 2 a double arrangement is shown by which a doubling up of output'of printed fabric may be obtained. There are two similar hollow heated calender rollers 110 and 110a and two similar assemblies of associated presser parts 111, 112 and 111a, 112a, the backing pieces 111 and 111a being mounted back to back on a common fixed mounting block 114 recessed in its opposite faces to receive the backing pieces as shown. In this case the calender rollers 110 and 110a are movably mounted each for bodily movement into and out of close co-operation with the presser pads 111, 112 and 111a, 112a respectively.

In FIG. 3 there is shown a calender roller 115 partly surrounded by a yieldable presser pad which has some flexibility and comprises a part circular backing piece 116 lined with a thin layer 117 of P.T.F.E. or other heat resisting non-frictional material. The layer 117 is shown as extending round curved faces on the ends 1 l8 and 119 of the backing piece by means of which it is mounted on a stationary support. The ends 118 and 119 are clamped to holders (not shown) which are movable to and fro along the arrow lines 120 and 121 to flex the presser pad assembly into and out of cooperation with the calender roller 115 which in this case is driven to rotate about a fixed axis at 122. A heat input control for the roller 115 is shown at 123.

In each of the constructions just described textile fabric in the length is passed over the calender roller (or in the case of FIG. 2 separate lengths against the respective calender rollers) with a printing web overlying the (or each) fabric length and both are pressed together and against the calender roller by the presser pad. The effect of the pressure is to ensure firm contact between the fabric and the surface of the calender roller for traction and for good heat transfer needed for the printing action, while at the same time allowing the fabric and printing web to slide readily past the presser pad without becoming relatively displaced or creased.

In FIG. 4 the machine frame is indicated at 10 and supply rolls of fabric and printing'web are indicated at 11 and 12. From these fabric 13 andprinting web 14 are taken over guides 15 and 16 and on to small guide rollers 17 and 18 from which they pass onto a heated calender roller 19. After passing about 300 of the circumference of the roller 19 the fabric 13 and printing web 14 leave it via small guide rollers 20 and 21 to pass onto take-up packages 22 and 23 driven by rollers 24 and 25.

In passing around the roller 19 the fabric 13 and printing web 14 are pressed against the roller by means of an arcuate pad indicated generally at 26, the construction of which is shown in FIG. 5. The pad 26 extends around an arc of approximately 300 about the roller 19 and has an outer resilient metal shroud 27 with turned over ends 27a and 27b, supporting within it a yieldable rubber or rubber-like layer 28 which is lined with a woven glass cloth 29 provided, as for example by coating, with a surface of PTFE, the ends of the lining 29 being anchored to the ends 27a and 27b of the shroud. There may if desired be a thin layer of metal foil inserted between the lining 29 and the yieldable cushioning material 28. The resilience of the shroud 27 and flexibility of the other parts of the pad 26 enable the pad to be splayed open to release its inward pressure towards the calender roller 19 for initial insertion of the fabric 13 and printing web 14, and subsequent contraction onto the roller 19 to press the fabric and printing web thereagainst.

To effect outward splaying and inward contraction of the pad, the ends 27a and 27b of the shroud 27 are coupled to levers 30 and 31 shown diagrammatically in FIG. 4 as pivoted at 32 to part of the machine frame. The levers 30 and 31 are operated by fluid pressure operated (e.g., pneumatic) piston and cylinder devices 32 and 33 anchored at 34 and 35 to the machine frame and at 36 and 37 to the levers 30 and 31.

For pre-heating the fabric 13 the guide 15 is formed as an extended plate of heat conducting material which is heated by electric heating elements indicated at 38; and an electric radiant heater 39 is provided close to the path of the printing web 14 so as to project heat thereto. On the discharge side of the calender roller 19 the fabric 13 passes over a guide roller 40 between which and the take-up drive drum 24 it is subjected to cooling action by air discharged from cooling pipes 41.

In FIG. 6 is shown a portion ofa modified form of the pad of FIG. 5. This has an outer thin metal sheath which may be of stainless steel and is slit at intervals as at 46 from one edge to near its opposite edge seen at the top of the drawing to form parallel flexible circumferential tongues which can be adjusted individually to tension them. Within the sheath 45 is a thin inner sheath 47 of aluminum surrounding a resilient rubber or-rubber-like backing layer 48 corresponding to the layer 28 of FIG. 5 and lined with P.T.F.E. faced woven glass cloth 49. The parts 45, 47, 48 and 49 are fixed to a mounting bar 50 by means of a fixing strip 51 and the parts 47, 48 and 49 are otherwise unmounted but urged inwardly by the sheath 45. The ends of the tongue between the slits 46 are each turned back and riveted to form loops 52 which embrace individual short bails 53.

The end parts of the tongue pass partly round a second mounting bar 54 and are adjustably anchored to an angle bar 57 by means of studs 55 fixed at one end in the bails 53, and nuts 56 on the outer ends of the studs 55. The angle bar is welded at intervals to the mounting bar 54. Thus by adjusting the nuts 56 appropriately the inward pressure of the sheath 45 on the inner parts of the pad to urge them towards the work may be graduated along the length of the calender roller 19 so as to be greater towards the middle part of the roller and reduced towards the ends, as is desirable at least for certain types of work.

The mounting bars 50 and 54 may be operated by open and close the pad by piston and cylinder devices as at 32 and 33 in FIG. 4 and there may be three or more such devices acting in unision on each mounting bar, one at each end and another or others at an intermediate position or positions. The direction of the applied forces is indicated by the arrows 58 and 59 in FIG. 6. Levers such as 30 and 31 of FIG. 4 used to apply the forces will of course be curved to reach round the roller 19 and the pad.

I claim:

1. Textile processing apparatus comprising: a roller; heating means mounted inside the roller; a support for the roller and the heating means on which the roller is rotatably mounted; a presser pad; mounting bars for supporting the presser pad such that an inner curved face thereof lies adjacent to and conforms with a part of the periphery of said roller; a support for the mounting bars and means for urging said mounting bars to tension the presser pad extending between the mounting bars around the roller and urge the presser pad toward the roller; said presser pad comprising successively a facing of a fluorocarbon material opposite the roller surface, a backing of a resilient rubber material, a flexible metal sheet, extending along the width of the roller, a plurality of flexible peripherally extending strips supporting the metal sheet and connected to each of the mounting bars, and means for individually moving at least one end of the strips away from or toward the mounting bars so as to permit individual adjustment of the strips.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facing comprises a glass-fiber cloth impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the backing is of a neoprene rubber material.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the presser pad extends over an arc of the roller in excess of 180 but allows the entry and exit of textile sheet material between the presser pad and roller.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said means for urging the mounting bars are arranged to enable the presser pad to be splayed apart to facilitate setting up of the apparatus.

6. Textile processing apparatus comprising: a roller;

heating means mounted inside the roller; a support for the roller and the heating means on which the roller is rotatably mounted; a presser pad; mounting bars for supporting the presser pad such than an inner curved face thereof lies adjacent to and conforms with a part of the periphery of said roller; a support for the mounting bars; means for urging said mounting bars to tension the presser pad extending between the mounting bars about the roller and urge the presser pad toward the roller; a supply holder for supplying a length of fabric; a supply holder for supplying a printing web containing sublimable dyes; means for guiding the fabric and the web between the presser pad and the roller with the web against the roller and the fabric against the presser pad; said presser pad comprising a facing of fluorocarbon material .opposite the roller surface whereby the fabric is frictionally engaged predominantly by the web and slides freely past the facing, said presser pad further comprising a backing of a resilient rubber material, a flexible metal sheet extending along the width of the roller, a plurality of flexible peripherally extending strips supporting the metal sheet and connected to each of the mounting bars, and means for individually moving at least one end of the strips away from or toward the mounting bars so as to permit individual adjustment of the strips, whereby the pressure may be evenly distributed over the whole surface of the presser pad; and means taking up the fabric and printing web separately after they have passed between the roller and the presser pad.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means for heating the fabric and printing web at a position between each respective supply holder and the roller and presser pad.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 comprising additionally means for cooling the fabric at a position between the takeup means and the roller and presser pad.

9. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the facing comprises a glass-fiber cloth impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.

10. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the backing is of a neoprene rubber material.

11. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the presser pad extends over an arc of the roller in excess of but allows the entry and exit of textile sheet material between the presser pad and roller.

12. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said means for urging the mounting bars are arranged to enable the presser pad to be splayed apart to facilitate setting up of the apparatus. 

1. Textile processing apparatus comprising: a roller; heating means mounted inside the roller; a support for the roller and the heating means on which the roller is rotatably mounted; a presser pad; mounting bars for supporting the presser pad such that an inner curved face thereof lies adjacent to and conforms with a part of the periphery of said roller; a support for the mounting bars and means for urging said mounting bars to tension the presser pad extending between the mounting bars around the roller and urge the presser pad toward the roller; said presser pad comprising successively a facing of a fluorocarbon material opposite the roller surface, a backing of a resilient rubber material, a flexible metal sheet, extending along the width of the roller, a plurality of flexible peripherally extending strips supporting the metal sheet and connected to each of the mounting bars, and means for individually moving at least one end of the strips away from or toward the mounting bars so as to permit individual adjustment of the strips.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the facing comprises a glass-fiber cloth impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the backing is of a neoprene rubber material.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the presser pad extends over an arc of the roller in excess of 180* but allows the entry and exit of textile sheet material between the presser pad and roller.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said means for urging the mounting bars are arranged to enable the presser pad to be splayed apart to facilitate setting up of the apparatus.
 6. Textile processing apparatus comprising: a roller; heating means mounted inside the roller; a support for the roller and the heating means on which the roller is rotatably mounted; a presser pad; mounting bars for supporting the presser pad such than an inner curved face thereof lies adjacent to and conforms with a part of the periphery of said roller; a support for the mounting bars; means for urging said mounting bars to tension the presser pad extending between the mounting bars about the roller and urge the presser pad toward the roller; a supply holder for supplying a length of fabric; a supply holder for supplying a printing web containing sublimable dyes; means for guiding the fabric and the web between the presser pad and the roller with the web against the roller and the fabric against the presser pad; said presser pad comprising a facing of fluorocarbon material opposite the roller surface whereby the fabric is frictionally engaged predominantly by the web and slides freely past the facing, said presser pad further comprising a backing of a resilient rubber material, a flexible metal sheet extending along the width of the roller, a plurality of flexible peripherally extending strips supporting the metal sheet and connected to each of the mounting bars, and means for individually moving at least one end of the strips away from or toward the mounting bars so as to permit individual adjustment of the strips, whereby the pressure may be evenly distributed over the whole surface of the presser pad; and means taking up the fabric and printing web separately after they have passed between the roller and the presser pad.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising means for heating the fabric and printing web at a position between each respective supply holder and the roller and presser pad.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 comprising additionally means for cooling the fabric at a position between the takeup means and the roller and presser pad.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the facing comprises a glass-fiber cloth impregnated with polytetrafluoroethylene.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the backing is of a neoprene rubber Material.
 11. Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the presser pad extends over an arc of the roller in excess of 180* but allows the entry and exit of textile sheet material between the presser pad and roller.
 12. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said means for urging the mounting bars are arranged to enable the presser pad to be splayed apart to facilitate setting up of the apparatus. 